


I tell myself that I was waiting for a sign

by Goldstein_1984



Category: The Beatles (Band)
Genre: Confusion, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day, peace&love, starrison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:08:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29376171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldstein_1984/pseuds/Goldstein_1984
Summary: George is unsure about Ringo's intentions when Ringo invites him over on Valentine's Day.
Relationships: George Harrison/Ringo Starr
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26
Collections: Peace & Love Mini Fest





	I tell myself that I was waiting for a sign

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from Paul McCartney’s “My Valentine”.
> 
> Thanks to CelesteFitzgerald and rufusrant!

Ringo had been wandering around in his house for more than a month now. He’d tried many times to convince himself to  _ do  _ something, whether it was taking a walk outside or learning a new song. But nothing seemed to brighten his mood, and he always ended up lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. For what he knew, he wasn’t even sure what day it was. In fact, he didn’t know at all and didn’t care in the least. It felt like the weekend all the time; a long, endless weekend. 

This is why one morning - at 1:35 PM, but it could still be the morning -, he decided to call George. After having fumbled with the phone for several minutes, he finally took the matter in hand. 

“Hey, Ritchie! Long time no see!” said a  _ very happy _ George. “How are you?”

Ringo nearly dropped the phone to go back to bed when he heard such a cheerful voice. He couldn’t bring himself to invite his friend over and corrupt him with his unpleasant, lazy mood, could he? 

Apparently, he could. 

“How are you?” he replied, trying not to sound too dull, which was surprisingly easy, given how George’s happiness was contagious. “Was wondering if you had free time… Just an afternoon’d be nice. We could hang out together someday soon, if you’d like.” 

“Yeah, ‘course!” 

Ringo felt a bit reinvigorated. 

“What about Sunday?” 

Silence. Ringo hoped he wasn’t too off the mark - could Sundays have disappeared completely during the past three weeks?

Had he really been drinking  _ this  _ much since he’d woken up?

“Yeah, well… Of course, why not!” George finally responded. “I’ll meet you at your place!” 

Ringo’s place definitely wasn’t tidy enough to welcome anyone, even an old friend like George. This is why he answered machinally: 

“No, not my place. Not a good idea.” 

He could hear George breathe on the other end of the line. 

“Okay. Where d’you wanna go, then?” 

Ringo could’ve said “your place”, but it didn’t even cross his mind. 

“You fancy dinner at a restaurant?” 

Realizing after a moment that George wasn’t answering, he added: 

“No worries, I’m inviting you. I’ll pay. Or we could go for lunch, if you’d like.”

“Fine by me. Dinner, I mean. With you. At the restaurant. On Sunday. What time?” 

_ What a weird habit he has of summarizing everything like that _ , Ringo thought. 

They chatted a little, and finally decided to meet at a restaurant near Ringo’s place on Sunday, 5:00. 

***

Sweat was already dripping off George’s neck when he checked his watch for the dozenth time, waiting next to the door of the restaurant. He knew he shouldn’t be nervous; after all the posh events he’d had to attend with the rest of the band just because they were the Beatles, he shouldn’t have been too impressed with being alone with Ringo in a restaurant. But still, the thought of it made him look at his watch again just to make sure he wasn’t late or way too early. Ringo. And him. Alone. Together. In a restaurant. 

On Valentine’s Day. 

It didn’t sound too awkward, after all. Just a bit funny. 

Finally, Ringo arrived and greeted George with a grin. 

“Hey, nice to see you!” 

George patted him on the shoulder as they made their way inside. 

“Yeah, it’s been quite a while. What’ve you been up to?”

They talked about this and that as they sat at a table and made their orders. George was surprised by the elegance of the place; he would never have imagined Ringo wanting to eat a casual meal with a pal in such a stylish place - even the  _ napkins _ were stylized with little embroidered lilies. 

Unless Ringo wanted to make it special for George. 

On  _ Valentine’s Day _ . 

Which would have been totally normal. They hadn’t seen each other for more than six weeks, and it could be an occasion to celebrate.

Why not?

And, above all, why was George’s right knee shaking like this? 

“God, it’s been months since I went to a restaurant”, Ringo sighed. “I’d forgotten how hard it is to choose something I can eat!” 

He chuckled, and as he stretched, his foot brushed against George’s ankle. They both remained still, Ringo’s shoe touching George’s trousers lightly. He didn’t seem to notice it, though, because he normally would have excused himself. Any polite person would have. And Ringo was a very polite man. Following that train of thought, George found himself wondering if his friend had done it on purpose. 

And, when their eyes met over the table and Ringo smiled at him peacefully, George could feel his own cheeks burn. 

As if they had never lay on top of each other in the back of a van, nor had ever smiled directly at each other with such happiness in their eyes. 

He responded with a grin. 

_ Better play it cool, George _ , he thought to himself.

Was he really crazy to the point of calling himself by his name…? He had never done that. But he reckoned there was a first time to everything. 

***

“Wanna hang out a bit?” Ringo asked once they exited the restaurant. 

“Ugh, it’s so cold… You sure you don’t want us to go to your place? You said it’s near…”

Ringo looked at him for what seemed like a very long second, and then sighed. 

“Well, okay, but only if you promise not to say anything about the mess.”

“Come on, I wouldn’t even think of it.” 

Ringo smiled, made a joke, and they took a cab to his place. 

Everything was normal. 

***

“We could watch a movie”, Ringo suggested after they had a few drinks. “I think there’s a fun one on telly at 8:00. It’s a good one, think I saw it last year.” 

A bloody  _ movie _ . The best excuse to make shoulders brush or hands meet inadvertently. 

_ I’m being paranoid here,  _ George thought anxiously, feeling the alcohol slowing his train of thought.  _ Gotta stop thinking about this. Ringo can be nice with me if he wants, even on Valentine’s Day, and we can watch a movie like normal grown-up men would do : a couple inches apart.  _

“What’s the point in watching it if you’ve already seen it?” George chuckled.

Ringo shrugged and smiled.

“Well, I have a very poor memory, that’s for sure. So why not?” 

They took place on the sofa and turned on the television. After a while, the movie started. George had already seen it too, but he didn’t mind. 

Especially not with Ringo looking so  _ satisfied _ , so  _ happy _ next to him. 

_ God, I really need to stop giving him such weird intentions. _

_ It’s just in my mind.  _

_ Is it? _

_ Of course it is.  _

A woman was screaming at a man looking like some sort of skeleton. Ringo placed an arm around George’s shoulders and leant on him, sighing contentedly. 

George couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Ringo, is there something wrong?”

Ringo absentmindedly turned off the volume of the television. 

“No, why’d you ask?” 

“You know what day it is, right?” 

“To be honest, I don’t”, Ringo chuckled. “It’s been a thousand years since I’ve looked at a calendar.”

Then, a deep frown appeared on his face and he pulled a sorry face. 

“Oh my god, George, is it your birthday? Argh, I didn’t know we were this late in February already…”

George couldn’t help but laugh. 

“No. Not at all. In fact, it’s… it’s Valentine’s Day, today.”

Ringo’s frown deepened and he now looked quizzical. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” 

They both stayed silent. Ringo finally spoke : 

“Gosh, George, I’m sorry… I mean, this is rather funny, but you must have had plans…”

“Yeah, actually, I did.” 

Ringo’s face seemed so shocked that George felt a bit guilty and added quickly : 

“I indeed had plans. With you.” 

“Oh.” 

Ringo let out a nervous laugh. 

“Well, I guess it’s nice having you here anyway, if you had nothing else to do… I sure didn’t have a date today, so we’re good, aren’t we?”

George laughed too. 

“Yeah, of course we’re good. Good Lord, I thought… I thought for a second that you’d invited me over for… y’know… a  _ date _ . As some sort of joke or somethin’. I’m really daft sometimes.” 

Ringo chortled, but his laugh faded away and he stared right at George, his bright blue eyes peering at him. 

“Would you… have prefered it another way?” 

“What?” 

“George… Would you, uhm… have liked it more if it had been a real date?” 

George didn’t respond. He just couldn’t.

“‘Cause if you’d rather spend the last hours of Valentine’s Day in someone’s arms, I guess I could make it up to you”, Ringo added jokingly. 

George had a tiny smile. 

“Maybe I’d like to.” 

It was Ringo’s turn to look so shocked that his eyes went wide. 

And so George leaned in and kissed him. 

They parted an instant, looking at each other with incredulous eyes, and Ringo brushed George’s cheek lightly before kissing him again. 

“Do you....”, George whispered, a bit ecstatic. “Do you think… I mean…” 

Apparently, Ringo could read his cheesy, way too romantic mind, because he said playfully : 

“I can be your Valentine if you’d like.” 

George swore he could see a blush on the man’s cheeks. 

“Ritchie, I… I love you. Deep in my heart, I… You’re... You’re like a sun. And even when you don’t feel like it because you’re in a bad mood, you’re a rainy day, a blue, quiet, soft rainy day. The most beautiful of all.” 

Maybe he’d taken this a bit too far. Of course he had. This didn’t look playful anymore. It sounded real. And lunatic. And absolutely not like him. 

Ringo didn’t answer. George felt his heart racing and thought of leaving right now. 

“Shh”, Ringo shushed, running his callused fingers in George’s hair. “You know I’m not as much as a wordsmith as you are, Georgie… But I love you too.” 

This was all it took to make this day the best Valentine’s Day George had ever had. 


End file.
